Does quality matter? An analysis of mentoring functions, mentorship quality and employee outcomes

Purpose Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET), the purpose of this paper is to explore whether mentorship quality mediates the link between mentor functions (career support, psychosocial support and role modeling) and employee outcomes (organizational commitment, self-esteem and employee well-being). Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses were tested among 268 full-time employees who engaged in a mentoring relationship from a range of organizations using path analysis in AMOS. Findings Results showed that mentorship quality fully mediates the relationships between mentor functions and the employee outcomes of self-esteem and employee well-being. Originality/value This present study broadens the body of literature applying SET in workplace contexts and tests a model in which mentorship quality mediates the relationships between the mentor functions and protégé outcomes.